Lonely Without Me
by Miyamoto
Summary: *PRESENTLY STOPPED* Nakuru has been anbushed by someone....or something? Touya thinks that he's going after a ghost and Eriol seems to know more than he's letting on... All the while, Nakuru is fading away...
1. Lonely Without Me

1 Lonely Without Me  
  
In the midst of many chatting and laughing students sat Touya sat eating lunch. It would have been more favorable if Yukito had been there with him. He gazed down out of the window and let his mind wander; it wasn't until somebody snapped her fingers in front of his face that he looked up.  
  
'Touya-kun?' said  
  
Touya looked up from his plate and came face to face with Nakuru.  
  
'Oh…Akizuki-san' he moved his chair back with the intention of shifting away from that steely gaze.  
  
Nakuru looked uneasily at Touya as if wondering if he was really the person to put a though question to. To her awkwardness, Touya said nothing.  
  
'…Can I speak with you…?' She trailed off.  
  
Touya stuffed some food into his mouth 'sure…'  
  
She stared at him, exasperated, and sat herself opposite him in an empty chair. 'I know that you don't share the feelings that I do for you…So I'd like to ask some advice friend to friend, is that ok?'  
  
Touya had never seen Nakuru acting like this. He stopped eating and said 'Ok… go on'  
  
'Every day after I head back from school I feel as if I'm being followed…I know it!' She declared freaking out a little.  
  
Touya look puzzled but then looked seriously at her 'Why are you telling me?'  
  
She replied simply 'You know what it's like…'  
  
Touya looked perplexed 'What It's like to be followed?'  
  
'No' Nakuru said '…to turn behind you and see nobody. To not see at the cold staring eyes watch your confusion! I feel it's presence and yet I don't see 'it'…I'm scared, Touya! She said raising her eyes to watch his eyes for a reaction  
  
Touya had seen ghosts but surely Nakuru wasn't afraid of them. 'A spirit?' he asked  
  
Nakuru's eyes flashed 'Not a spirit… A spirit makes you feel cold. This presence makes my heart turn to ice!'  
  
'Is it trying to hurt you?' Touya asked quickly  
  
Nakuru sighed 'It doesn't really want to kill me…. It…'  
  
She was cut short as the bell sounded for the end of lunch. Nakuru cast him a desperate look and vanished into the crowd.  
  
Nakuru had gone a whole day now, without hugging him once. In fact it seemed that she'd started avoiding him because he hadn't seen her all day. This should have made him relived but something in his head kept bugging him. Spirits didn't hurt people and neither did they stalk the living.  
  
It wasn't until after that school day that Touya got to talk to Nakuru. He caught her leaving the school….  
  
'Wait! Akizuki-san!' he called after her.  
  
She looked behind her quickly after hearing the voice then calmed down at seeing it was Touya.  
  
'Touya-kun?' she asked  
  
'Wait…' he said a minute catching up with her 'I'll come with you…I want to help you with this spirit…'  
  
Nakuru shuddered slightly 'It's not that simple… I know what it is and what it wants but…'  
  
Touya prompted 'what? I'll help you'  
  
'I don't think you would…' Nakuru stared at the ground gravely 'the thing behind the spirit isn't a thing really… It's a person… You love this person very much too. When you say that you'd help me…'  
  
The rest of the sentence seemed to be caught in her throat '…I'm sorry but I can't believe you…I know that if faced with a choice you'd choose h…'  
  
She paused and suddenly she coughed as if she was choking on something. Touya moved forward to help but she stopped and swayed slightly. Touya watched as she fell senseless on the ground, he glanced back at her before leaving for help.  
  
'…It got you then?' he asked her dismally…  
  
As he disappeared out of view, something lurked…It crouched soundless, cold and unfeeling in the shadows. It lingered there until it heard approaching steps and then it vanished as quickly as it had come, soundless, unfeeling and cold…  
  
Touya got home a little later than usual. But as expected nobody really noticed…  
  
'Sakura-san. What are you going to do when you get all the cards?'  
  
'…But Tomoyo-chan! I don't even know if I'm going to get that far!'  
  
Tomoyo sighed 'You're Sakura-chan so everything will surely be alright…' she smiled at Sakura  
  
Sakura nodded and smiled 'Your right, Tomoyo!' and the two of them laughed. Kero-chan smiled to himself knowing that because it was Sakura and things would certainly be all right…  
  
Nakuru lay in her own bed in Eriol's mansion, still wearing the uniform that she collapsed in. You might have believed her to be dead if it weren't for the fiery sparkle in her eyes.  
  
'It's almost frightening, isn't it? The way she stares up at the ceiling like that with a face of pure terror' Spinal acknowledged…  
  
He turned to Eriol 'Can we help her?'  
  
'We may…'  
  
'Would Sakura help us?'  
  
'Perhaps…'  
  
Spinal watched the shadows gloomily 'what charm has been used to cause Nakuru's sleep?  
  
Eriol waited a moment 'I don't believe a charm did this, neither do I believe the result to be sleep…'  
  
'When is it going to end' Spinal asked casually  
  
Eriol said nothing  
  
'When will she awaken?' Spinal asked again but louder, firmer and this time with his eyes meeting with Eriol.  
  
'That…' Eriol explained '…Is something that Nakuru alone can decide…'  
  
Spinal said nothing and padded out of the room. Eriol shut the window but as he left the girls bedside he look over…  
  
'It all up to you, Akizuki-san'…  
  
-------To Be Continued 


	2. Ghost Light

1.1 Ghost Light  
  
The clock in the living room chimed twelve.  
  
Suppi jumped down the stairs and padded coolly along the hall, the clock continued to tick. 'Ahhh' thought Suppi 'there is nobody awake but me…' he sighed 'not even that raucous and mindless idiot of a adolescent!' he shut his eyes thoughtfully…  
  
He sat in concentration; he heard the clock ticking, the wind in the trees was like a hurricane in his ears, the clock continued to tick…tick; tick a soft wispier in the air carried though the hall!  
  
'I'VE ALREADY SAID THA…'  
  
Suppi was interrupted from his tranquility with a shout coming from the living room. He quietly stepped over to the door and listened.  
  
The room was dark with a single light beside were Eriol stood by a lamp with the phone in his hand. The surrounding darkness Illuminated Eriol's anxious and tense face 'I UNDERSTAND! I CA … Yes? …Oh Mizuki-san…I, I know it's my fault! I'm responsible for all of this…I've got reasons for not rushing in! Have you no compassion, Mizuki-san, she's…She's just a helpless girl…There MUST be ANOTHER WAY!'  
  
Suppi felt his insides go heavy. 'Eriol was responsible for what had happened to Nakuru?' Suppi sighed a very deep sigh, yet he made very little movement his eyes closed in reminiscence and he padded gravely back into the hall and over to the windowsill. 'Whatever Eriol has planned for Nakuru, I'm sure it's for good…' He shut his eyes again 'I can't stop what master wishes, although I don't understand them…I…. Nakuru!'  
  
He looked outside of the window. A girl was standing there, her auburn hair flowing in the wind, with a single plait to one side. He couldn't see her face because she looked downwards. Suppi watched vigilantly and silently. He was about to take a step when the girl looked up, her large brown eyes fixed on Suppi, a childish smile crossed her face and then she vanished…  
  
'Yukito-san! Thank you for letting us eat at your house!'  
  
Yukito looked at Sakura, smiling 'Your welcome, it's just nice to have company for once!' Sakura nudged her brother  
  
'Yeah, thanks Yukito…' Touya said. Sakura decided that her brother was the rudest boy alive  
  
'I hope you don't mind that my brother didn't wash up! The food was really great, ne? Tomoyo-chan!'  
  
Tomoyo smiled and started to answer when she turned to face their right 'Uh…Sakura-chan!'  
  
'Hoe?' came the reply  
  
'Look there's somebody standing on the grass!' Tomoyo continued  
  
Yukito strained to see 'It's that girl from our class… the one that fainted at school, I'm glad to see she's better now' he said happily quickening his pace in her direction. Touya swiftly followed and the two girls ran ahead. 'She's looking in at one of the windows…' Acknowledged Tomoyo. Yukito called out 'Hello! Akizuki-san!'… Touya said nothing, but watched…He felt something strange in the air. Yukito stopped and squinted 'Where did Akizuki-san go? … She was here a minute ago'  
  
Sakura looked about as bewildered as Yukito, 'Hmm…She just vanished!'  
  
Kero, who had watched from Sakura's bag watched and thought to himself 'people don't just disappear, I have to know more…'  
  
The emptiness … one way was flooded eerie white light flooded into… it the other was darker than a bitter midnight. It had seemingly one inhabitant. This one of which was Eriol wearing his blue robes, he stepped forward into the dark, as he did so the air grew icy in the space of a second. He didn't grimace he only searched into the black. The blackness was deep and harsh and the ground covered in grey and brown grass with matted weeds. It felt stuffy and suffocating. Eriol was cold but it wasn't a coldness that could be warmed with heat… only magic…  
  
Eriol continued to walk into the black; it was the kind of cold that you could get close to when walking in a graveyard…Eriol stopped. There was nothing there…or was there? He looked into the darkness, which seemed to illuminate something, a figure. Nakuru stood there, still, the wind blowing her long hair. 'Akizuki-san!' Eriol gasped.  
  
Nakuru looked down at Eriol, she smiled 'Come to rescue me?'  
  
Eriol noticed how her mouth barely moved when she spoke, and her voice was faint and far off sounding.  
  
Eriol answered 'I'm going to take you back home…'  
  
Nakuru continued to look at him with large eyes… 'I don't have a home, Eriol-kun. I was created by you for a purpose and I did it…' she paused 'You know what's happening…?'  
  
Eriol shut his eyes apologetically 'Yes' then he added 'I'm sorry…'  
  
Nakuru took a step back further into the dark, her mouth still smiling 'Don't be…'  
  
Eriol took a shaky step towards her. It was painful to move, the blackness was slicing into his side like a knife. He felt weak; the ground felt like it was dragging him back, it was hard to move forward. Eriol felt like he would fall to his knees at any minute. He looked up 'Wait! Don't go into the dark…'  
  
Nakuru's eyes had a child-like innocence again 'You know I can't help it…'  
  
As Eriol made a move to go forward, it was like he was trying to push down an iron gate with just his hands. 'Akizuki-san…' he whispered 'Hold on…'  
  
She was in the dark, soon she'd move back again. He made another attempt at a step, but his whole body was shaky and he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth to the ripple of pain that ran though him…  
  
Suddenly…  
  
The cold seemed to vanish instantly…Even the pain seemed to subside. He felt the sweat on his forehead.  
  
'Hm? Suppi-chan …Are you sure he's asleep?' asked a familiar voice 'He doesn't look all right, he's looks tense and pale.  
  
'Who cares' said another voice; it sounded spiteful but with noticeable concern.  
  
Eriol felt dizzy, he overcame it and slowly opened his eyes…  
  
'Eriol-kun…hope you don't mind us in here. Suppi-chan let us in'  
  
Eriol paused and shot Suppi a look, but then quickly turned to Sakura, he smiled 'Don't worry Sakura-chan, it's quite alright!'  
  
Syaoran glared across at Eriol. 'We came to find out what you did to that girl!'  
  
Sakura sweat-dropped 'Syaoran-kun, that's not right…we are here to find out what happened to Akizuki-san!'  
  
Eriol said 'I'm busy today so I won't be of much use if you come back tomorrow we could do it together. However you are very welcome to do it by yourself today…' He smiled apologetically.  
  
Syaoran nodded 'I'm fine with tha…!'  
  
Sakura interrupted 'Sorry to be a bother, we'll see you tomorrow then, Eriol-kun'. She turned and dragged Syaoran out of the room.  
  
'Thank you, Sakura-san' Eriol stood up to see them out but then a pain tore though him, forcing him to sit down again.  
  
Sakura turned around after hearing the sound of his fall 'Eriol-kun, what made that thud?'  
  
Eriol smiled from his chair 'I didn't hear anything…' 


	3. Why Won't You Let Me?

1.1 Why won't you let me?  
  
Sakura and Syaoran walked in perfect silence down the street. Although the time was not clear it was getting late, they walked past the park. Sakura stopped for a minute and look into Syaorans eyes thoughtfully.  
  
'What is it, Sakura-chan?' he asked, blushing slightly.  
  
'Well…what would you say if I said that Meiling was behind all this?'  
  
Syaoran looked shocked and stopped walking 'Are you crazy? What's Meiling got to do with this! She's not even in this country! '  
  
Sakura looked straight at him 'Lets say she came to Japan and decided to prove that she could do something, to prove to you that she could do it and…!'  
  
'Why are you accusing her? She doesn't have any magic!'  
  
Sakura continued to glare at him  
  
'She…She just isn't like that!' Syaoran stuttered  
  
Sakura dropped a comment 'Would you say it's not in her nature to do something like that and that you can see it in her eyes?!'  
  
'Yes, you could put it like that…' Syaoran agreed, still not completely understanding what was going on.  
  
'Well, like you can tell with Meiling, I can see it with Eriol! He has kind eyes and he wouldn't lie about something like this!! So you two should be friends and be nice to each other! Somebody has already been hurt, if it were Eriol next would you really be so mean? Syaoran-kun, we all need to stick together on this!' Sakura yelled.  
  
Syaoran nodded 'Ok Sakura, I'm sorry. I'll try not to argue with him'  
  
Sakura looked up and gave Syaoran a big smile 'Thank you, Syaoran-kun!' she said hugging him. A red blush crossed his face…  
  
…'Eriol?' Spinal asked,  
  
'Master Eriol… What's wrong?'  
  
'Nothing Spinal…' he just broke off  
  
Spinal paused and looked wide-eyed at his master.  
  
'It's nothing Spinal'  
  
'I'm not just a pet, Eriol. I want to be your friend…why can't you let me?'  
  
Eriol seemed to freeze at these words as if he hadn't expected then grimaced but covered it up 'I just felt dizzy for a second, please don't worry about it'  
  
Spinal's expression didn't change 'You know I didn't mean that…'  
  
Eriol turned to look into Spinals hard eyes but said nothing as if looking for the right words.  
  
Spinal watched Eriol's face unblinkingly 'you are ten year old child with the memories of a great sorcerer…' Eriol looked away but still Spinal continued '…you were born for a purpose; you did what you had to do and did it with a smile. You had to leave your parents at an early age in order to fulfill what you had to do…'  
  
'They weren't my parents'  
  
Spinal watched Eriol from behind '…no?'  
  
'No…they had a child but it wasn't their real child. The differences were obvious' he said  
  
'…How so?' Spinal questioned his gaze fixed on Eriol  
  
'Everybody felt that I was different, my brother…their son was reminding me of this on a daily basis. I didn't hate him for it. He had something I'll never have…not ever.'  
  
Spinal stared, he wanted to ask but was careful not to.  
  
His parents… They encouraged me in my strengths… I tried to do what normal children did…I tried things…I wanted to laugh and play games. I wanted to like doing things like this…however my mind was cursed on thinking just how impractical they were…Instead I'd sit at my window watching life happen…wishing I was as ignorant as normal people were. As for my schooling, they helped me…' he paused 'no, encouraged me….' Eriol gave a bitter and hollow laugh 'I never needed help but occasionally I'd pretended to need it and fail so that they could have the satisfaction of helping me do it again better…'  
  
Spinal sighed, Eriol was so kind and he didn't know it…Suddenly…'Eriol, where are they now?'  
  
Eriol head visibly fell 'I left…I erased all memory of my being there at all. It was time to meet with her…' he hesitated '…Sakura-chan. A few days later I went to see if the spell had worked on my parents…secretly I had hoped that it…' he broke off ' they didn't know me, I didn't have them think any differently. I knew it was for the best but…it was the right thing to do…' He stopped but the finality in his tone of voice told him it was over.  
  
Spinal turned away from the blue eyes, he wasn't sure he had been ready to hear that… Eriol simply let his parents forget him, like that… He'd never known the full story… Spinal felt a surge of pity towards both Eriol and his family…  
  
At that moment Spinal felt Eriol's arms wrap around him. 'I'm sorry, Spinal' he sobbed into Spinals fur 'I never thought I'd ever have a real family…and I never… I never realized…'  
  
Spinal smiled to himself…  
  
  
  
To be continued… 


End file.
